The Closed Door
Augusta makes decisions that affect your family. You deserve a senator who answers to you — not a party.
There's a committee hearing in Augusta about a bill that would raise fees on small businesses. It's scheduled for 9am on a Tuesday. The hearing room holds forty people. By the time the public finds out it's happening, the testimony slots are full — mostly lobbyists who knew about it weeks ago.
The bill passes out of committee on a party-line vote. Nobody from Sagadahoc County was in the room. Nobody from the committee called to ask what the people who'd be paying those fees actually thought.
This isn't unusual. It's how most legislation works in Augusta. And it's exactly why people stop paying attention — not because they don't care, but because the system doesn't seem to care whether they show up.
The Problem
A system built for insiders
Most legislation in Augusta is drafted, negotiated, and decided before the public ever hears about it. Committee hearings are technically open but practically inaccessible to working people with jobs and families.
Party loyalty drives votes more than constituent input. Legislators vote with their caucus because that's where committee assignments, leadership support, and campaign money come from. Voters come second.
Maine has no independent voice in the senate for District 24. Both major parties have built-in obligations that come before your interests. An independent senator's only obligation is to the people who elected them.
Transparency isn't just about open meetings — it's about proactive communication. Your senator should tell you how they voted and why, not wait for you to look it up.
“I don't owe anything to a party. I won't owe anything to a caucus. The only people I'll answer to are the voters of District 24.”
Ideas Worth Exploring
An independent voice, accountable to you
These aren't campaign promises — they're conversations we need to have. Real change takes coalition-building, and I want to bring these ideas to the table.
Radical transparency on every vote
Every vote I cast in Augusta will be published with a plain-English explanation of what the bill does, how I voted, and why. No jargon, no spin. If I can't explain a vote to a neighbor at the grocery store, I shouldn't have cast it.
Regular town halls — not just during campaign season
Accessible, no-agenda town halls throughout the district, on evenings and weekends when working people can actually attend. Not scripted. Not screened. Just a senator and the people they work for.
No party, no caucus, no obligations
Running as an independent isn't a branding exercise. It means I vote on every bill based on what's right for District 24, not what a party leader tells me. That's a structural advantage, not a limitation.
Push for legislative process reform
Advocate for longer public notice periods on committee hearings, remote testimony options for working families, and plain-language bill summaries published before votes. Make the process work for citizens, not just lobbyists.
This matters to you?
Then let's do something about it. Every yard sign, every conversation, every bit of support moves the needle.